Trade-offs in Adopting a Lean Operations System

What trade-offs are involved in shifting from a traditional operations system to a lean system for:

a. A manufacturing firm
b. A service firm

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Shifting from a traditional operations system to a lean operations system in a manufacturing firm means a paradigm shift. The basic philosophy of manufacturing which involves the perceived safety of holding warehoused finished goods and inputs, to a philosophy of ordering Just in Time, requires confidence in the abilities of workers to produce on demand, equipment to be ready and operational, the market has some predictability, and suppliers to be reliable. Any one of these variable, not producing as anticipated can result in the collapse of the lean operating system because the leanness is in the ...

Solution Summary

The pros and cons of the transitional process are explained in 402 words.